Shirobako | Episode 20 | TFP Review
EmperorBrandon: Hiraoka sure is on a roll this episode… I was kind of surprised to see them confront the specter of sexism when focusing on Midori’s issues this episode (likely all too real). But they couldn’t end there with Hiraoka, seeing the altercation with Madoka. Dang, I’ve kind of missed Okitsu, and she all of the sudden shows up being quite awesome. Interesting to see the director is one of the most emotionally fragile in that kind of tense situation (particularly seeing him bracing for the worst when Hiraoka comes back later to apologize). But thanks to President Marukawa’s advice to Hiraoka, they’re able to make up later. I like how Aoi ends up assigning him with Tarou to an episode. This could be good…
“Kunogi-san. How did you know where I lived?” You don’t realize she’s stalking you, Ema? 
Seriously, though, just the fact she asked Oi-chan seems impressive given what we see of her communication skills. We did see her spying on the production assistants now, though. I don’t know, I kind of find it sweet she’s seemingly expanding her zone.
bctaris: Best part was dumb Tarou waltzing into the room because he heard his name. And yes, that is a compelling attempt to fix the problem with Hiroaka, pairing him with the most reckless and shameless person there. It’ll drive Hiroaka nuts, but it’s the perspective he needs. And it fits with that particularly powerful ending this one had, with Aoi, through Aerial Girls, finally figuring things out: if you don’t know what you want, help the people who do. Really, just perfect. (Damn Mizushima, by the way: just from following along with the production of this show-within-the-show, and even with a cliched scene of a character about to die giving the hero (Aria) a purpose, it still felt emotional. Sheesh. 
Shows how well conceived Shirobako’s characters have been, though, that we invest as much in what they are doing as they do.)
Midori’s train routine, by the way, was brilliant. One in a series of non sequitor scenes in this show that we haven’t talked about enough but that beautifully fill out its world. The asides this episode about eating or fighting in all girls schools at the production meetings–prompting Watanabe at one point to say, “oh, we’re back on topic” when things swing back around–were also nice. Like President Murakawa’s cooking, they provide this comforting underpinning to the characters and their lives.
Sly05: Hiroaka’s antipathy towards the job has him lashing out at his coworkers and not presenting himself as a very sympathetic character. Drawing a bit of a connection to Aria in the Aerial Girls episode their working on, he’s in a position where he needs to come up with a reason for why he’s continuing working in anime production or would he be happier doing something else. Given that this show tends towards positivism (and its generally all the better for it), I suspect that he’ll find a reason to continue such as camaraderie with his coworkers even if people burning out or just continuing to hate their job are part of any industry, unfortunately. Given the infamous long hours and low pay in anime production, I couldn’t really blame him (even if the sexism towards Midori was totally not cool).
Speaking of Midori, seeing her come up with scenarios on the fly was a lot of fun. Her voicing the other people on the train was adorable and she’s rather good at it.
